1. Field
One or more exemplary embodiments relate to a method and apparatus for measuring magnetic resonance (MR) signals in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) creates images by using information determined through the resonance of atomic nuclei exposed to a magnetic field. The resonance of atomic nuclei is a phenomenon where an atomic nucleus in a low energy state absorbs RF energy and is excited to a higher energy state when a specific radio frequency (RF) is incident on the atomic nucleus magnetized by an external magnetic field. Atomic nuclei have different resonant frequencies depending on their types, and the resonance thereof is affected by the intensity of an external magnetic field. The human body includes a large number of atomic nuclei, and hydrogen nuclei are commonly used for MRI.
MRI systems use a noninvasive imaging technique and provide images with superior tissue contrast, compared to computed tomography (CT) systems. In addition, unlike CT images, MRI images are not affected by bone artifacts. Furthermore, the MRI systems can produce various cross-sectional images in desired directions without changing a position of an object, and thus, they are widely used in many medical areas in conjunction with other imaging diagnostic tools.